MIT Technology Review Reveals 2026 Innovators Under 35

MIT Technology Review has unveiled its 2026 list of 35 Innovators Under 35, recognizing a diverse group of young visionaries who are driving groundbreaking advancements in various fields. This annual list, now in its 23rd year, highlights individuals who are making significant contributions to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

Among the honorees is a researcher focusing on preventing vision loss as we age, a founder developing more efficient chips to recycle energy in data centers, and an entrepreneur working on teaching AI agents about the intricacies of the world to enhance their decision-making capabilities. Each innovator’s profile explores their unique challenges, solutions, and future plans, offering insights into how their work could shape the future.

The selection process involved a rigorous evaluation by MIT Technology Review’s expert team of journalists, who examined 550 nominations over a months-long period. The team worked alongside 44 expert judges, including some former innovators, to identify the most promising candidates. These judges assessed the nominees across a range of fields including artificial intelligence, climate change, biotechnology, computing, and robotics.

Past honorees have gone on to make significant impacts in the tech industry, with notable examples such as Instagram co-founder Kevin Systrom, Spotify’s Daniel Ek, AMD’s Lisa Su, and AI pioneer Ilya Sutskever. This year’s list includes individuals whose innovations are poised to have a similar transformative effect.

The full list is now available online at MIT Technology Review. Each innovator’s story provides a unique window into the world of cutting-edge research and development, showcasing the diverse range of solutions being developed to tackle today’s most critical issues.

MIT Technology Review, founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1899, is known for its award-winning journalism and analysis of emerging technologies. The publication aims to inform the public about the advancements shaping our future, providing trusted insights and expert analysis to a global audience.